If we strike out on Carmelo Anthony, is keeping Ryan Anderson really THAT bad???

When comparing the production of the two players this year, I think it's worth mentioning:

The way we play is ideal for Ryan Anderson (elite passers/ 3s / defensive switching resulting in overall less movement while on D), and the way OKC plays is apparently not an ideal fit for Melo.

So I don't know if it's really fair to compare the two guys without the context of how they're being asked to play relative to how they can best perform.

HOWEVER, lest that all sound like a big ol excuse for Melo, I have to say that he has performed so poorly this year that I don't even know if he has a place on a winning team anymore. He'd have to be a bench player and have to be paid appropriately (read: far less) and I don't see that happening.

(Also just for the record, at the beginning of the season I viewed us being unable to get Melo as a huge letdown. Clearly I wasn't thinking right at the time.)

 

Never once did I argue that Melo was a great shooter. That's not my argument here. Ryno has always been labeled as a shooter. Terrible defender but great perimeter shooter from his days with Orlando.

That doesn't mean that with better looks Melo can't be a more efficient scorer. Again I was ok with not getting him because of what we would have most likely had to give up (1st round picks and young talent, which we're already lacking) but my point is his contribution would have been more significant than what Ryno has brought to our team, off the bench or in the starting 5.

Hell that he had to even be benched because of his terrible defense is signs right there that he's not worth what we're giving. Which leads back to my original point... at the least we would have had an expiring contract with Melo. When with Ryno we need to wait until at least December of this year until it truly gains some value.

 

i really have no clue where you're getting the idea that 16 years in the league at 34 yo, melo is going to be a more efficient scorer. its like people are stuck on this melo in his 20s phase. please come back to reality

and for the record you said ryno is much more streakier shooter than melo and isn't as consistent which is false.

 

Edit: It's just not worth it to me.

 

Weird that even Melo’s spot up shooting has gone down hill. If he can’t hit his shots, he ain’t of much use.

Ryan Anderson is limited. But he can shoot and is not a source of drama like Melo can be especially with Dan Tony

 

Still think he'd be better here, but thank god we didn't give up a Gordon or Ariza to get him. Sheesh.

 

It doesn't put the ball in the basket but it makes it easier when the ball is coming from a CP3 or Harden pass instead of a Westbrook pass. I just don't think "OKC Melo" would be the type of Melo that would play off of Harden and CP3.

 

what "easier" than wide open 3s. melos hasn't been particularly good at it all year

 

What's easier is not playing with Westbrook. What's easier is MDA's system. I see no reason to assume Melo would play exactly the same on the Rockets.

 

i see plenty. you are who you are when your going on 34 years old and what 15 years into the league. playing with harden and cp3 isn't changing that.

you have to be a ~40% shooter throughout your career consistently to actually be able to do it. not some sub 35% and expect to be different just because. people can blame westbrook all they want. if you actually watch melo throughout the year, people would actually see hes just a bad basketball player at this stage of his career. he hasnt acknowledged his limitations at all

it must be wb's fault that pg13 had his 2nd best year from three in his career

 

At this point, I think we can look at this a different way. We wanted to trade a worthless player with an albatross contract for a slightly less albatross contract by one year but give up assets and still have an albatross contract. Sometimes you get saved from yourself as we now need those assets to still trade said worthless player with albatross contract for a real diamond that might want to come here. Had we made the trade a year ago we would be stuck one more year with an albatross. Now in our previous failure we may find success. I am so looking forward to never hearing again about another player connected to spacing and not looking at a starter with 0 points that is making $20M. So far this mistake only cost us the 2016-2017 season. We can win this year in spite of it but we cannot let this anchor continue to drag us down when teams we are competing against have 4 all-stars. We have more talent than we have ever had but I pray this lump of coal turns into a diamond. Before that happens let us hope this player has two 15-20 point games in the WCF and Finals splashing 3s to provide some value to us and to his trade value. The DNPs and the no shows really don't help. When he is not playing at least I know his minutes are going to good use.